It’s not just lack of sleep which makes us tired and negatively impacts on our daytime functioning. Our negative thoughts around lack of sleep leave us exhausted too. Stressing out about your sleep won’t help to improve it, but it will leave you feeling worse.

Unfortunately, stress and sleep loss is a vicious cycle. Stress can sometimes trigger poor sleep, but then worrying about this sleep loss can create an even more stressful mindset, this then impacts on daytime functioning. 

With the above in mind, it’s clear to see why it is very important to learn to manage your stress, for both your physical and mental health. 

So, here are three positive habits you can add to your routine to help relieve stress and in turn, hopefully help improve your sleep, allowing you to Sleep Well and Live Better.

1. Write stuff down. Each day make a 20 minute window to write down everything that is on your mind so you are mentally ‘clearing’ out the negative thoughts and worries which are consuming you. This is a really therapeutic way to get a different perspective on your thoughts and also to learn to be more proactive about when you decide to dedicate time to thinking about things, which before were distracting you during the day or at nighttime.
   

2. Learn to observe your thoughts rather than engage with them. Mindfulness is a great way to learn this skill - the more you practice, the better you get! The aim is not to clear your mind but rather to simply notice what is going on in your mind rather than engaging in the thoughts.
   

3. Introduce some exercise to your daily routine and make sure your goals are manageable. Don’t set your goal as an hour spin class five times a week if all you can manage is a 15 minute walk at lunchtime. Getting your body moving, whether for five hours a week or fifteen minutes a day, will encourage the release of hormones to help battle your stress levels.